Colorado State football's offense takes key step

Consistency next order of business for Rams

By Mike Brohard Sports Editor

Posted:
09/29/2013 04:18:12 PM MDT

Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson drops back to pass in the third quarter against UTEP on Saturday at Hughes Stadium. Grayson and the offense want to build on their performance and get more consistent.
(
Steve Stoner
)

FORT COLLINS - Throughout camp, Colorado State talked about it with confidence.

They saw it in practice, they said. The players were in place and they were ready to produce.

However, the offense the Rams always envisioned for Saturday's had never made a game-time appearance, at least not for long stretches.

"We've been frustrated. I've been frustrated for a long time here with our offense," tight end Kivon Cartwright said after Saturday's 59-42 win over UTEP. "We know we have the tools, we have everything. It comes down to paying attention to details, and that's what Coach Mac (Jim McElwain) talked about all week. That's what we did. We paid attention to the little things and our playmakers made plays. That's what they're expected to do, and that's what they did."

Cartwright was called upon twice, and each time it produced a touchdown. Quarterback Garrett Grayson, who wasn't producing the first two weeks, came away with his first 300-yard game, and his first three-touchdown pass performance. He even added a rushing touchdown for good measure.

"I see some confidence in our quarterback," McElwain said. "I think he made a couple of throws today where he was decisive, he wasn't tentative. The third-down throw to Rashard (Higgins) .. . Bam. That's what you like to see. To see a guy go do it now, that helps your confidence, that helps your whole team's confidence. We've just got to keep getting the ball in these guys hands who have the ability to make plays."

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Higgins, the true freshman wideout, has started to come into his own. He had seven catches the week before against Alabama, then added six more for 156 yards and two scores in the victory. He did have a drop, but it's the first one since the first two games, and Grayson thinks he's seeing a player who knows he belongs on the field.

Joe Hansley is also proving reliable with five catches for 78 yards, as well as his first touchdown pass. He also showed he has a bit of moxie, throwing a key block that allowed Higgins to score one of his touchdowns.

"The way he attacks the blocking game, that wasn't the only one," McElwain said. "There were a couple of times we hit a couple of runs and he got his guy on the ground. Those are the things that don't show up in the boxscore that make you be successful."

Running back Kapri Bibbs came to the forefront of a rushing attack that produced 250 yards on the ground, eclipsing the 100-yard barrier for the first time with 147 (without being thrown for a loss) and scoring three touchdowns. He now has six touchdowns on the year, hitting scoring runs of 37 and 34 yards in the second half.

While the young guys were a big part of the explosion, Grayson says it's really a matter of the entire offense putting things together.

"I think not only they're getting it, I think the whole team has finally got it," Grayson said. "Just what we took out of last week, I think that kind of opened everybody's eyes. Even though we lost, we took out of that game a ton of confidence and we brought that in early in the week, we came out fast start. That first drive, five plays, not many teams do that."

But it was just one game that looked complete, and McElwain said it is not enough.

"Consistency in what we're doing," he said. "We've just got to keep going."